". . . it is necessary for us to have an understanding of God himself in the beginning. If we start right, it is easy to go right all the time; but if we start wrong, it is a hard matter to get right."
-- Joseph Smith, Nauvoo, Ill. April 7, 1844

Sunday, November 21, 2010

BYU is Winning . . . Psych

Football season has improved for Brigham Young University the last few weeks as they have won games by large margins. What is less known is BYU has been winning a competition that has national implications, sort of. Like the last few football games, the point spread is large. Unlike the last few football games, the competition isn't over with a declared winner. It extends until the middle of December.

The "Campus Wars," as it is called by USA Network, is a chance for colleges to compete to have a "shout out" on the popular show Psych. For those who don't know, Psych is about a guy who starts his own psychic detective company. He also does work for the Santa Barbara, CA police department on retainer. The catch is that he isn't really (if you believe there ever are) a real psychic, but has a very good eye for detail. He uses this to both fool the cops and clients while solving crime cases. It is similar to the other popular show "Monk" that was on the same network, but with different sensibilities. The two leads are much younger and there are more pop culture jokes, particularly about the 80s during the time the characters were kids.

As can be seen by the current leader board, BYU has a good point advantage:

1 Brigham Young University (UT)1211690

2 California State University-Long Beach (CA)551540

3 University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)238575

4 University of South Carolina (SC)229790

5 North Carolina State University (NC)150175

The reason BYU students and alumni like the show shouldn't be too hard to figure out, although there hasn't been any polling. It is mostly a relatively "clean" comedy. At times takes a swipe at mainstream culture both current and from past decades. Use of language is almost completely mild. For a "clean" culture like BYU that has more of a sense of humor than might be known by others, it seems a perfect match.

What is planned for the "shout out" is not known. It might be a mere mention of the college or an extended joke. Whatever happens, There is still some time left before the competition ends. Trends look in favor of BYU, but who knows. No matter the outcome, fans will keep watching.

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About Me

I am an Idaho native who likes to read and write about a variety of subjects. I graduated with a B.A. in English from BYU. Mormonism, one of my main interests, has fascinated me ever since my early teenage years.